November 12, 2010

Adam Bennett 1989-2009

Today is one year after the death of my friend Adam. This morning, I thought I could be strong, but now, all I can do is cry. Adam was such an amazing person. Although I do not believe in regrets, only learning from mistakes, I can't help but regret not getting to know Adam better.
I met Adam through my friend Gerardo. Adam started coming to our Youth Group with us, and we started hanging out a lot. I got to know him pretty well one summer, but soon lost our close bond. I always saw Adam at church, and loved his smiles and hugs, but I stopped calling him and making an effort to continue our friendship. I'll always regret that. Through Adam, I learned so many life lessons. The last text I got from him was last October, and it said "Don't stress, God loves you!" What wisdom :) He showed deep love for the Lord, and was constantly pursuing more through Him. I will never forget what an amazing man he was, and the impact he made on so many people.

In honor of him today, here are some of my favorite memories with him:
-The day he was saved, Adam came to my house, sat on the dog's bed, and told me and my mom all about it. I was so proud of him. I remember the excited and nervous look on his face, like he didn't know what to expect. I only wish he could have known at that very moment the impact that he would make.
-I called Adam one day, driving to Gerardo's house. It was the first time I had really called a boy just to talk. He made me laugh, and told me that someday he'd sing me a song, but not that day. I wish he had.
-Lexi, Michelle, and I made pizza and brought it to the pool, where Gerardo and Adam met us. We played in the pool, put on temporary tattoos, ate pizza, and had fun. I stole his hat for a while, which I kept and took pictures of myself with in hopes he'd comment on them :) This was the day my huge crush for him really started.
-We went to the pool another time and played volleyball with some guys who were deaf.
-Adam and I got into a fight. It was my first fight with a guy. We yelled at each other, and apologized to each other. I don't think I'll ever forget that.
-A bunch of us went to cici's one day, and just acted like crazy teenagers. We all threw cheese and food at each other, then didn't clean it up. I'll never forget the look on his face when Gerardo through the first thing.
-Adam and I had a conversation at a super bowl party. It was our last "serious" conversation. We talked about life, and some of the problems I was going through at that time. I told him how proud of him I was and how far he had come. I'm so glad I told him that.
-We went to Sushi one day, and I was so nervous. I dressed really cute, and got there super early. I was mad that the waitress flirted with him, and only ate like three avocado wraps because I was so nervous :)

There are SO many more, but there are a few that really stand out. I still think about Adam all the time, and I can't wait to see him again someday. All I can do is thank God for taking him out of this crazy world. If anyone did, Adam deserved to be in Heaven with Jesus. I am and always will be extremely proud of the man he became, and will always love him.

No comments: